Senses are Essential
by XxTheDarkLordxX
Summary: "I want you to be nice to the Order." Right for the jugular. Draco let out an aghast noise as he leaned away and regarded the Gryffindor with a clearly horrified expression. "That's like asking a boggart not to frighten people. I can't change my inner self." SLASH! Sequel!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes:**

 **First, I would like to say that this is the fourth part in my series. The First one is called, 'Virginity is a Gift, Use it Well. The second one is called, 'A Boyfriend is a Privilege'. The third is called, 'Perspective is Everything' I would HIGHLY recommend reading the first three. This shit won't make sense otherwise.**

 **There is Smut in this story. If that is not your thing, then skip over it. :)**

 **!Warning!- I do not own Harry Potter in any way, shape or form. All rights to the characters are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. The only thing is mine is the way I spin the story. It is for entertainment only and not part of the official story line.**

* * *

"Oi!" Ron cried out indignantly when he was shoved forward out of the fireplace, _nearly_ spiraling him over the rug and cracking his head on the banister. The only thing that had stopped this from happening was him placing his foot out, causing it to slam against the ground harder than necessary, but at least it wasn't his head.

"George! I'm going to kill you." He ground out when his brothers exited the floo. "That bloody hurt."

"You shouldn't have taken so long." Both twins retorted together as they dusted themselves off.

"What are you boys arguing about?" Molly asked as she too exited the floo. "You better not be fighting. We don't have time for this."

Ron sighed heavily, figures. It wasn't even worth the argument. He glared at his brothers as he waited for the rest of the family to come through. "Do I get to participate in the meeting this time?"

"No." Several voices spoke up in refusal. Ron looked around and noticed that his parents, Sirius and Remus had answered the question.

"Sixteen should be old enough to join the Order." That wasn't a pout. Definitely not.

"Tough shite." Fred mouthed at him behind his mother's back.

"Ow!" Fred and George cried when their mother smacked the back of their heads.

"I didn't even say anything!" George honestly muttered in pure confusion, shooting his twin a dark look.

"You didn't have to." Molly sniffed. "I know you."

At least there was some kind of karma in the world. Ron schooled his features in a blank expression but he just couldn't stop the snort from releasing when he saw his brothers rub the back of their heads. George getting blamed too had honestly made his entire day.

"At least we can see Harry for a little while." Ginny changed the subject when it looked like George might argue back. "Haven't seen him since the school year ended."

Sirius and Remus shared a look before clearing their throats. "Harry is up in his room but he is busy at the moment. I am afraid you will have to wait until he is done." Remus explained with an apologetic look.

"What's he doing?" Hermione wondered with furrowed brows.

"I think she means, who, not what." George whispered quietly to his twin causing Fred to snicker.

Ron narrowed his eyes his at his brothers' amused faces and at Sirius' partially disgusted look. It was all making sense. He sighed heavily as he fought down the urge to cringe. So, Malfoy was here. _Lovely._

As more people began to trickle in, the hallway was becoming cramped.

"Why can't we just go see Harry?" Ginny complained. "It's not like he would mind us interrupting."

Ron snorted despite himself. "Trust me Gin, he would mind."

"How do you know?" Hermione wondered with pinched brows. "Do you know what he is doing?"

"I have a pretty good idea." He tried giving her a meaningful look but wasn't sure if she had understood what he was hinting at.

Hermione seemed suspicious but let it go in favor of watching the rest of the Order come in and out of the kitchen. "Fairly big meeting today." She bit her lip in thought.

"Introducing the possibility of two new members." Tonks told her conspiratorially as she exited the kitchen to welcome the teenagers, waving once at Sirius who was leaving the room.

"Any word on who it is?" Mundungus grumbled as he inspected a polished silver plate hanging on the wall.

"No." Tonks shook her head in disappointment, hair changing from pink to brown rapidly. "Sirius and Remus know but they are rather tight lipped at the moment."

"That's unusual." Moody's gruff voice sounded before the clank of his cane could be heard. "Sirius couldn't keep his trap shut if his life depended on it."

"I resent that." Sirius yelled from inside the kitchen doorway, where he had been guiding people in. "If the incentive is high enough, secrets are safe with me."

"Please spare us from your incessant boasting." Snape drawled as he walked through the door.

"Ah, Snivellus. I was hoping you wouldn't be making it. It's a shame old Voldy hasn't disposed of you yet." The false cheery tone to his voice had a few people shaking their heads.

"The meeting is about to start." Moody interrupted before Snape could argue.

"Good." Two relieved voices panted as they came into the room as well. "Got held up." Charlie apologized as he smacked soot off of Bill's shoulder.

Bill smiled warmly at his younger siblings, who had greeted them before he looked to Sirius. "Are you sure you don't want to give us any hints? I find myself rather intrigued. I can't remember there ever being a meeting for any of us when we joined."

Sirius rolled his eyes as he firmly refused to give anything away. He ushered everyone in with a lazy flick of his hand. Only when the last guest was inside, did he turn back around and give the three teenagers one last warning. "Leave Harry be."

"What do you think?" Ginny turned to Ron and Hermione when the door was shut and magically sealed. "Should we go up anyways?"

"You couldn't pay me enough to go up there." Ron shuddered heavily. If Harry really was with Malfoy in his room, then there wasn't a chance in hell he was interrupting that.

"What is it you know?" His sister demanded with a glare.

"We should tell her." Hermione whispered but not low enough for the younger girl to have been left out.

"No." The hard denial startled both Hermione and Ginny.

"Why?" Asked Hermione. "She's his friend too, she deserves to know. The whole family does."

"Harry will tell everyone in his own time. It isn't our business to tell." He could tell that she could at the very least agree with that. "Besides, I am sure he will ease everyone into it. My guess, is he has a plan."

* * *

"H-how is this going to help me with Occlumency?" Harry choked out as Draco pumped two fingers in and out of his arse while he laid back on the floor.

Draco smirked against tan skin before he sucked a mark on his lover's neck. "You can't protect a chaotic mind. Clearing all thoughts and emotions is essential."

This wasn't news to Harry. He had heard all of this from Snape. But the Potions Master had _never_ gone this route. Thank fucking god.

"This is a good method to get you relaxed." Draco whispered as he tongued a lobe before gently nibbling it. "If your brain is too active, then attempting to clear your mind will be pointless. It is easier to control a still puddle than a rapidly flowing creek."

"And sex is the answer?"

"Well, I have to get something out of this, don't I?" Draco retorted easily as he thrusted his fingers in harder, loving the sweet moan that was released.

Harry loved that his boyfriend was a Slytherin. Fuck, this was the best idea they have had in a while.

"Fuck me." It was just as much of a demand as he was pleading.

"Mmm." Draco moaned as he grabbed the lube and quickly slicked himself up. "My pleasure."

Harry furrowed his brows when he felt hands lift his legs up higher than normal. "What are you doing?"

"I want to try something new."

He really should have been suspicious by the challenging tone but Harry had always been a sucker for Draco's challenges. "Alright."

"Wow." Harry whooshed out when not only his legs were lifted but so was his entire lower body. He was practically resting his weight on his shoulders as his legs were pushed passed their normal lengths, leaving his arse completely in the open. The blood was already going to his head. "This is going to get uncomfortable very quickly."

"Then I guess it's my job to distract you." Draco whispered as he slowly slid his cock inside Harry's arse.

The stance didn't allow Harry to throw his head back, so he turned it instead as he let out a low groan. "Oh." He whimpered as this new position had Draco's prick resting right against his prostate.

All the discomfort on his boyfriend's face was quickly replaced with pleasure, which had Draco smirking on the inside. He waited until impatient green eyes narrowed on him before he slowly pulled back and firmly snapped his hips forward.

They both moaned as one, eyes still staring intently at each other.

"Fuck." Harry swore as his eyes closed and he clenched his fists, wishing he had something to grip. Sex with Draco was always intense, he loved it.

Silver eyes tracked every swallow, sigh and moan. Draco bit his lip as he looked down at watched his cock slide in and out. Watched the way he was gripped tightly, loving the feel of Harry wrapped around him.

"Harder." Harry begged as he tried to thrust down but it was hard in this position. It put strain on his shoulders, which didn't feel that great.

That was something Draco could easily do. He groaned softly as he not only began moving harder and rougher but also increased the pace as well.

"Yes!" Harry cried out, not needing anything more than this. "So good, Draco." He loved how full he felt with the thick cock inside him.

Draco almost wished that he could change positions so that he could easily kiss Harry but this was just fine. Especially with the way Harry was clenching around him.

There was a strain on Harry's muscles but he ignored this as each pounding thrust of Draco's had his prostate being hit deliciously.

With the pleasure mounting, Harry couldn't help but reach up and grip his aching dick tightly.

Draco licked his lips at the sight, his hips snapping harder in response.

A keening cry escaped Harry's lips as he quickened his pace. He looked to Draco curiously. "You like it when I touch myself."

It wasn't a question but Draco nodded anyways, eyes entranced on the fast-moving wrist that was still jerking a leaking shaft.

"I like when you are the one touching me." Harry admitted breathlessly, moaning at the thought of strong hands finishing him off. "But this is good too."

"Come Harry." Draco demanded. "I want you to make yourself come."

Harry definitely loved the way the demand was breathy but still had meaning behind it. A part of him wanted to deny the demand just on principle but he was so close to finishing that he decided to just go with it.

With each fast stroke, Draco matched this with his hips moving impossibly faster. He wanted to follow the pace of his lover's hand.

"Draco—I—" Harry clenched his eyes tightly as he felt his muscles lock. Moans were turning into screams as he felt one more hard thrust push him over the edge, coming hard.

Draco watched the splotches reach near Harry's face as they landed on the tan chest. It was erotic and enough to have him increasing the pace even further as he too chased his own climax.

"Draco." Harry whispered, eyes still closed and blissfully sated as he felt Draco still thrusting inside of him.

The whisper was his undoing. Draco stilled as he felt his orgasm pour out of him. He weakly shifted his hips, letting Harry's clenching arse milk him completely.

As his legs were slowly placed on the floor, Harry began to notice a tense throb in his shoulders. That was unpleasant but he was too relaxed from his climax to care about that. Maybe later it would bother him.

Draco propped himself on his side, so that he could peer down at Harry as he ran his fingers through the messy locks. The flushed cheeks, glazed eyes and blissful smile was a sight that he loved to see on the other boy.

"I'm definitely relaxed now." Harry whispered as he closed his eyes and leaned into the hand playing with his hair. He blindly lifted his arms to pull Draco's face down, wanting that mouth on his own.

The kiss was more smiles than anything but Draco sighed happily into Harry's mouth before enthusiastically kissing back.

"You ready to learn?" The question was whispered against lips as Harry chose to continue snogging the Slytherin instead of replying. Occlumency wasn't something he wanted to be doing anyways.

Draco chuckled before pulling away. "Come on, love." The way the brunette looked down, cheeks went pink and a small smile lifted at the corners had him realizing that he had never said that before. It was obvious that endearments were something that Harry liked. Saying sappy things was _not_ something that he himself liked to do but if got this kind of reaction, then he would have to get used it.

"If you can even _remotely_ protect your mind, then I will offer you something in return."

That got Harry's attention, he sat up and peered into silver eyes that were soft but serious at the same time.

"Like what?" There was definitely something suspicious to Harry's tone, which had Draco smirking in response. It was always smart to question _anything_ that a Slytherin offers.

"What do you want, Harry?" Each word was said slowly as a hand trailed up his naked body.

Distraction. Harry may not be the smartest person in the world but he knew every part of his boyfriend and could read him perfectly. Draco was attempting to distract him. If they hadn't just had sex, then it _might_ have worked.

"I want you to be nice to the Order."

Right for the jugular. Draco let out an aghast noise as he leaned away and regarded the Gryffindor with a clearly horrified expression.

"That's like asking a bogart not to frighten people. I can't change my inner self."

Harry snorted as he pulled the grumpy blonde into his arms. "I would never ask you to change who you are. I _know_ you are going to say something to embarrass me, no doubt because it is lewd." He sighed when Draco's lips twitched.

"Just as I know you are going to insult at least five people in the span of two minutes. Your sarcasm is going to fly over many people's heads and your sharp tongue will probably make more enemies than supporters. But all of that will be reflected on me too." Harry pointed out.

"I could care less what some of them think. But it would go a long way if you at least pretended to look as if you were trying to nice, especially since the Order are the ones who will decide if they want to induct us."

Draco hummed in thought. "So, you just want me to pretend? Because that is something I can do."

"Draco." The resigned sigh had Draco feeling chastised. He didn't want to play nice, didn't want to be somebody he wasn't. But the truth of the situation was that he needed their support. If the Order decided to not allow him in, then it could ruin a lot of things for him _and_ put Harry in a tough position. That was something he didn't want to do. He never wanted to burden his lover with anything.

"Alright." Draco conceded as he locked eyes with Harry. "I will try to be nice but I will do so in a way that won't compromise my beliefs. If they can't accept me as I am then I don't want to be included."

Harry smiled softly as he kissed a pale cheek. "That's all I ask."

"But the second meeting is not included in this." Draco warned. "My wickedly charming self is coming full force after this one."

"Good." Harry meant it too. He loved everything about Draco and would hate to see the blonde pretend to be someone that he just wasn't.

"This is all speculation, you know. At least until you _actually_ put some effort into Occlumency."

There was a challenge there. One that Harry was going to let bait him. He may not want to learn any of this but he knew that he had to do it anyways. He lifted his hands in a defeated manner, as if to say, 'go ahead'.

"Sit up." There was a demand in the tone but Harry found it in intriguing. He wanted to see how well his boyfriend could teach him. It _had_ to be better than Snape's methods. It just had to be.

When they were sitting on the floor, directly across from each other, Draco cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes in thought.

"Close your eyes." Still completely demanding but Harry did as was asked, wondering where this was going.

"What can you see? Not with your eyes but with your other senses." Draco whispered as he observed his lover intently.

It was an interesting question. Asking him to see without his eyes was almost an oxymoron but Harry was intrigued enough to not comment.

Harry furrowed his brows when he could _feel_ power. Not in an overpowering way but more of just a presence. Was it possible to feel power like this? Was that him? Was he feeling himself? A long pause as he tried to delve deeper. He leaned forward, towards where he knew Draco was.

"I feel _you_. As in touch."

Draco arched a brow, they weren't even touching. "I imagine I probably feel weird to your senses." Especially considering how different they were.

"No." Harry argued with a shake of his head, keeping his eyes closed. "I feel your power. I feel your presence. I feel you beyond a simple touch."

That had Draco letting out a low whistle as he blinked rapidly at the brunette still just sitting there.

"What does my presence feel like?" He wondered curiously.

The question had Harry leaning impossibly closer as he tried to keep his bottom half still on the ground. "Compatibility."

"What?" Draco was baffled. That was not even remotely what he had thought was going to be said.

Harry smiled softly as he tried to formulate just what it was that he was aiming to say. "There's just this compatibility to you that meshes with me, with my own presence. I feel you and want to take it in. I want to wrap my own presence inside of you."

"That is surprisingly kinky."

Harry laughed loudly as he blindly reached forward to slap his boyfriend on the leg. "Don't ruin the moment." He teased gently.

"You don't feel anything dark?" Draco wondered as he decided to be serious for the moment. It was interesting that Harry wasn't sensing his magic as he himself would. Perhaps that was important. Perspective maybe?

What does dark feel like? That was on the tip of Harry's tongue but he chose to ignore that. He could remember the presence of Quirrell and the way Voldemort had clung to the man. Could remember the way Riddle's diary had felt, remembered that presence as well as the aura to the graveyard. There was a darkness there and that was one gleaming opportunity to compare to but it was also wrong. Draco felt nothing like that.

Harry opened his mouth but then closed it again as he thought back over everything. Darkness was a label. A generalization. He couldn't look at Voldemort's presence and then compare it to Draco. That wasn't fair nor was it right. Dark or light was a relative term. It changed with each person. Who was to say what a darkness really was? Perhaps this was just magic. Maybe he was just feeling magic in general. Instead of having these labeling terms, maybe everyone was just different.

Perhaps it shouldn't be gleamed as dark, light or grey. There were people that didn't fit any of those titles. Draco was dark but light as well. Voldemort was only dark. Dumbledore… well he wasn't too sure about the man. His first guess would be to say only light but that didn't really fit. Snape seemed to be only dark but he was positive there was some kind of light in there. The Weasleys were light. Sirius was probably only light but with dark teachings. Remus would know the touches of dark magic but couldn't really say if there was a blend. It _changed_ with each person. Perhaps magic was just a spectrum of many things and everyone was just different and there was no right or wrong way to be. No true definition to describe someone. Because there would always be somebody that just didn't fit that mold.

The question was far harder than Harry really thought it would be. No, he couldn't feel anything dark because he wasn't sure if that was the right descriptor to begin with.

"I feel you, Draco. I just feel you. It isn't a darkness or a light. It is just your presence. It's what defines you and I won't classify it with a title."

Draco's eyes widened at that as he hummed in thought. It was obvious that he had missed something here but the conviction in Harry's tone let him know that arguing about this was pointless.

"Alright." Draco whispered as he fought the urge to run his fingers along tanned skin.

"But I love it." Whispered Harry just as quietly as the blonde's tone had been. "I love your presence. Love the way it feels. I could spend forever just like this."

Draco was rather glad that Harry's eyes were closed. He felt his cheeks heat up and he lowered his head. "You're such a sap."

Can it count as a reprimand if it's said so fondly? Harry didn't think so. He smiled widely as he reached out his hands and pulled any part of his lover's body to him and held on tightly.

The action had Draco letting out a breathy laugh as he sighed happily. "This is supposed to be a serious Occlumency lesson, you know. Not whatever this is."

"I like this better." The immediate response came in. Not bothering to pretend to be interested in Occlumency.

"So do I." Draco admitted softly. "But that doesn't mean we can succumb to it. We need to get somewhere or we will be up here all day and even all night."

"That doesn't sound too bad, actually." Harry pointed out before he leapt away when Draco began tickling him mercilessly.

"Be serious." Chided Draco with lips quirking up.

When Harry huffed and got back into position with his eyes still closed, did Draco continue.

"I want you to use your ears now. Tell me what you can hear."

There was a stillness to the room, something that Harry had never paid attention to before. Did the eyes really distract him from his other senses? Or was this just because he was _really_ paying attention now?

It was interesting to notice the different depths that can be gleamed from just one thing. He could still feel Draco's presence but this time from a different perspective. This time he could hear it. Hear the different shifting of noises that signified his lover's magic. There was an almost melody that whispered around the room. Only, it was soft, so soft that he almost overlooked it.

"You are beautiful." Harry whispered as he wished he could touch it. Wished that he could just surround himself in everything that was Draco.

What was with the sappy shite? Draco cursed his pale skin as he could feel the heat radiating off of his face, _again_. "You don't have to seduce me with flattery. I am already yours."

Harry grinned widely as he shook his head. "I am telling you what I hear. I can hear you, Draco." A pause as he sighed with a goofy smile. "And it's beautiful."

Damnit. A grin was overtaking Draco's features as he tried fighting it. But it was futile. Why was he with someone so sentimental?

"I love you." Draco whispered. _That was why_. Because he was just as fucking sappy. Salazar, what has the world come to? He looked to the ceiling as he mourned the loss of his reputation that he just _knew_ was burning in flames. Stupid Gryffindors and their charming personalities. It was all Harry's fault.

Harry's heart skipped several beats, sending his pulse into a state or erratic thumping. "I love you too." Merlin, Draco was _everything._

There was so much conviction in the statement that Draco knew Harry meant it. Not that he had ever doubted his boyfriend's love for him, but it was sweet to hear. He sighed internally. Why was he caring about anything being sweet?

Harry cleared his throat, knowing that Draco would want to change the subject soon. "Should I try smell next?"

"Go ahead." Draco whispered as he took in his lover's features, memorizing them, searing them into his mind forever.

This one was hard. "I smell sex."

The blunt answer drew a surprised snort out of Draco. Possibly his favorite smell, besides his boyfriend's natural essence.

Harry inhaled deeply as he tried to smell in ways that he wouldn't normally do. There was definitely an overpowering smell of sex, which had him shifting a little in remembrance. But he pushed past this and settled on trying to dig deeper.

This was harder than he thought it would be. What in the world was he supposed to be smelling here? Did Draco's power have a smell? Or was he focusing on his boyfriend too much? Should he be trying to smell other things in the room too?

Focusing on something else was rather hard. Draco was such a beacon. Despite not being able to see him, he could feel it in all of his other senses. If his mind was only going to gleam this one thing, then why fight it? It was obvious that he had a one-track mind when it concerned the blonde.

An earthy quality assaulted his nose and Harry just knew that this was Draco's smell underneath all of the products the boy used. But there was more to it. He cocked his head to the side as he smelled something else. It was barely there, almost like entering an old room that hadn't been used in years. A distant memory. That was what this was like. It was faint and just a tiny whiff of _something_. Is that what Draco's magic or presence smelled like? He felt his brows wrinkle in confusion as he tried to make sense of all of this. But it was just too hard.

"I can smell your presence. I just don't know how to describe it."

Draco nodded as he smiled. "Good. That means your sensory skills are up to par."

Compliments weren't something that Harry had ever really gotten before. Sure, people praised him for being the one to survive as a baby but that was really the extent. No one ever looked at his abilities and complimented him on that. He felt a wave of pride sweep him up and it was wonderful. It was nice having his boyfriend be supportive.

"What about taste?" Questioned Harry. That was the last one after sight was taken out of the picture.

Draco tilted his head back and forth as he tried to decide how to go about that one. "Using taste as a sense in means of magic is hard. It entwines so effortlessly into touch that it is hard to make a distinction."

"Oh." Harry breathed as he concentrated back on the feel of Draco again. He could feel his lover and feel that same warm enchanting presence. Concentration was almost his undoing. It was hard to disassociate anything besides the feeling. Was there really taste in there? Was there really something else mixed into the heady feeling of losing oneself in the touch of someone else's magic?

What was the difference between touch and taste? That was the real question. It wasn't touch and taste in the normal setting either. This was almost theoretically, since he wasn't actually doing either of those things. Harry huffed out as he tried to understand.

To taste was to take in something into his own body. Instead of concentrating on the presence of Draco, perhaps he should be trying to take what was there into himself?

Harry took a deep breath as he imagined he was taking essences of the presence in the air into his own body. As if it was the oxygen he needed or even the sustenance of nutrients.

 _Fuck_.

If Harry had thought it was heady before, that was nothing compared to what he was experiencing right now. The taste of Draco's presence was nearly indescribable. How could something like this even exist? It was every weakness to his will and every reason to keep living. Merlin, it was as if life itself was bottled up and he had swallowed it in one gulp.

"Oh my."

The awe to Harry's tone had Draco startling. Had his boyfriend really managed to separate taste and touch? On the first try? That was something he himself had only managed to do a few times and with so much effort it weakened him.

"Draco, I… I…" He trailed off not entirely sure what in the fuck he was going to say. This was all so much. Harry knew without a doubt that this was dangerous. Perhaps his other senses were great in delving deeper but not taste. This was something that shouldn't be done to most people. He shuddered in disgust at the thought of tasting any part of Voldemort. No. This wasn't something that should be done without some kind of deeper understanding and trust of the other person. There wasn't a single person besides Draco that he would want to taste. Not even his friends' magic or presence was worth it. No. He didn't want to know them on a level like this.

"Thank you." Harry managed to get out. Saying the only thing his mind could think of.

"What?" Draco asked inelegantly.

Harry smiled softly at the confusion that was palpable in his tone. "Thank you for showing me this." Tasting Draco's magic was a gift in of itself and he was going to treat it as such.

The gratitude was almost Draco's undoing. He took a deep breath and reigned in all control, so that he didn't just throw himself at his boyfriend. That would be undignified. He was above that.

"So, I know there is some kind of deeper meaning to this. I am just waiting to understand why you had me reach out with my senses." What did this have to do with Occlumency? He opened his eyes to peer at his boyfriend curiously.

Draco smiled at the change of subject. Knowing that Harry just understood him. He cleared his throat.

"Your eyes can be tricked easily. Most people rely so heavily on sight that they never protect their other senses. They believe that what they see is real and unshakable." He pulled out Remus' wand, that had been loaned to him for the lesson. It was unlikely that his own wand would produce the Ministry finding out, since this was a magical home and they can't really detect a child from a parent in situations like that but he wanted to be safe.

He waved the wand and a bouquet of flowers appeared.

"Who's trying to seduce who now?" Harry teased as he reached for the flowers.

Draco smiled as he moved them out of the Gryffindor's reach. "No. I want you to just look." When he was sure he had the brunette's attention, he continued. "What are your eyes telling you I am holding?"

The question had Harry arching a brow as he looked at the flowers. They were rather beautiful. They reminded him of daisies, only instead of the white petals, they were purple. A deep purple that accented the yellow center in a beautiful way. He had never really paid attention much to flowers, outside of the few that his Aunt used to plant in her garden.

"I think these are Asters, right?"

Draco was impressed. He didn't know that Harry knew anything about flowers.

"It would be if they were really flowers."

That had Harry freezing as he looked back to the flowers in his lover's hand. If they weren't flowers, then what were they?

At Draco's pointed look, he thought back to the lesson. Senses. He closed his eyes, cutting off the chance of the flowers being able to lie to his eye sight.

"Can I touch them?"

Draco extended his hand out and placed them on the palm that was patiently waiting.

The texture was wrong. Completely wrong for what a flower should feel like. It was scratchy and hard. He furrowed his brows as he clenched lightly. "Is this a stick?"

"Yes." Draco agreed readily. "But what would you have done if I had charmed them to feel as if they were flowers?"

Harry bit his lip as he questioned this. He leaned forward and inhaled. There wasn't the smell that one would associate with flowers at all. There was no smell whatsoever.

"They don't smell like flowers."

Draco nodded his head in approval, not that Harry could see it. "But what would you have done if I spelled them to smell as they should?"

Harry grumbled as he was forced to dig deeper. If the flowers looked, smelled and felt like flowers, he probably _wouldn't_ have done much else. Which was a scary thought. Had there been other instances where his eyes had tricked him into seeing something that was actually false? For the sake of the demonstration, he tried to use his other senses as well.

The magic surrounding the stick/flowers was the same as Draco's presence, which he supposed was a good way of indicating who had been the caster. But that wouldn't really help right now.

"Can you give me an actual flower?"

Draco hummed in thought as he did as he was asked. Placing a real Aster in his lover's other hand.

Harry clenched his eyes tightly in concentration as he felt between the two summoned things in his hands. There _was_ a difference between the two. It was hard to grasp just what was different but there was a subtle change.

It took him a moment to realize that the stick had extra magic surrounding it. Which made sense. It was summoned just as the real flower but it was _also_ glamoured to look like a flower. It would require more magic.

Harry opened his eyes as he placed the stick on the floor. "Alright. So, I need to be more aware of my surroundings and not trust my eyes. But what does that have to do with Occlumency?"

Draco huffed as he leaned away and placed most of his weight on his elbows. "If I am going to try and get into your mind, _I_ need to rely on a means of tricking _your_ mind. That is where the senses come into play. It isn't just power and the spell that grants someone the opportunity to break into the mind. Manipulating the senses and using trickery goes a long way."

He could tell that Harry wasn't completely understanding him. "Take your dreams for example. They weren't _really_ dreams. He was sending you his own thoughts and false constructed traps. To do that, he would have to get you invested in what you were _seeing_ and not what was actually there. The mind is harder to trick than your eyes but if you were solely relying on what you were looking at, then your mind would follow suit." Draco paused as he crossed his arms.

"He showed you Sirius in the Ministry. But during the time you saw this, did you feel out the intruding magic? Did you sense the feel of it? Or even hear it? Not the words of the false vision, I mean the sound of the magic itself? The sound of his magic would have been tangible. The scent of his presence in your mind would have been glaring."

Harry wasn't sure if he was being reprimanded or not. It felt as if he was.

Draco cupped Harry's cheek. "I don't mean to offend." He promised. "If it had been just the connection between you, it would have felt different. You were focused on what you were seeing and your emotions of it being Sirius blinded your other senses."

This had Harry trying to recall if there had been a difference between his normal dreams and the false one. He had been overwhelmed with worry for his godfather and hadn't paid any attention to anything else.

Harry nudged the hand holding his cheek gently before separating.

"Even if someone is forcibly entering your mind and you _know_ that they are inside, sight is _still_ lying to you."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked as he thought back to all of the lessons with Snape and the times that he had failed at blocking the man.

"When one uses Legilimency, they use the persons thoughts as a distraction just as much as a means to an end. Typically, someone resorting to this is aiming to find something specific. People don't just use Legilimency on a whim. It can be dangerous. So, there is an underlying cause to why they are in your mind in the first place."

Harry nodded in understanding, following along the line of thought.

"Thoughts are jumbled, chaotic and messy at the best of times. Most people have no order or control in what they think. So, when someone breaks into their mind, they have to wade through all of the chaotic things going on. Which will result in random memories from all over the place being brought forward."

This had Harry humming. Snape had pulled out all kinds of memories from his mind. They had been rather random, not really a line of thought or in a time line. Which he supposed showed that the intention hadn't been to search for anything but more of just entering his mind for the sake of the lesson.

"A skilled Legilimens will use these random memories that don't have to do with what they are looking for as a distraction. Causing the victim to look at the memories _with_ them. Which will have the person caught up in trying to hide the memories instead of _really_ focusing on the issue at hand."

Again, that made sense to Harry. He had watched the memories with Snape then too. He had been duped in a way that wasn't obvious.

"Forcing the person to leave your mind _is_ important but it isn't always the easiest thing to accomplish. Instead of getting worked up on what the person is seeing, it is always wise to turn the tables on _them_." Draco smirked at the way Harry sat up straighter.

"They are already in your head, show them an onslaught of what's in there. Show them the things that you could care less about them witnessing. Show them so much that they can't take it. Overload them with years and years' worth of memories in seconds. It's an overload that will send them reeling in no time."

Harry hummed in part amusement and thought. That seemed like a good concept of kicking someone out _after the fact_. "But what about blocking them before they can try?"

Draco scooted closer as he looked into Harry's eyes. "That is rather difficult, actually. If you _know_ that someone is about to perform Legilimency on you then it becomes marginally easier. But when is life ever that easy? Using Occlumency is a preventive measure to help protect the mind but it isn't something that should be done at all times. That is draining to not only your magic but also your mind." He didn't want to teach Harry the same way he was taught. That wasn't an option. Neither his father nor Bellatrix were adequate teachers.

"Clearing your mind in theory is what most people use but even an empty mind is susceptible to someone else's probing methods. Clearing your mind won't protect you completely. It gives off an illusion, as if your mind is impenetrable _but_ that isn't really the case. If one is to only clear their mind, then a really powerful Legilimens can overpower this and it will leave you a victim still."

Draco huffed as he tried to figure out a way to help. "I suppose if you were to draw up a shield, then clearing your mind might help but I disagree. Everyone does things differently."

"Alright." Harry agreed as he moved until he could lay his head on Draco's shoulder, still not caring that they were naked. "How do _you_ protect your mind?"

Draco ran his fingers through black locks as he hummed. "Eye sight is a weakness. I have been telling you this since the beginning of the lesson. Your eyes lie to you. _But_ it is a tactic that will be used against you. Eye contact is essential if someone is performing Legilimency on you. At least directly, with a normal person who doesn't have a connection with you." The last bit was amended with a shake of his head.

"I can tell you what I do but that might not work for _you_. Since I am not the one with a connection to the Dark Lord. I rely on my senses. Knowing that not everything meets the eye is essential. If my other senses pick up on something, then I draw up an Occlumency shield and don't make eye contact with _anyone_." He bit his lip as he thought about admitting this next part.

"The thing with a mental shield is how strong it is. I like to compare this to a patronus in a way. A powerful happy memory is required to perform the patronus charm. When dealing with a mental shield, you need something equally as powerful. You need something powerful to block out an opposing intrusion. My father told me that he learned to picture a large wall of unhappy things as his protection. Which is smart in a way. Powerful isn't singular. There is a lot of things that makes up power. His negative thoughts could very well throw off someone trying to enter his mind."

Harry furrowed his brows. "But there are ways to get past walls, right? Go over them, underneath them or even blast right through."

Draco huffed out a laugh. "Figuratively yes, you are right. Knowing his defense in advance would grant someone the means to counteract this but without knowing _what_ he uses, then the wall would be off putting. My father isn't weak willed. He is not only proficient in Occlumency but he can perform Legilimency decently as well. I doubt that many people would be able to get past his defenses long enough to live." Which he was unfortunately not boasting. This was just facts. "I didn't want to use negative thoughts as a means of protection. I live with the negative daily, I don't need it in my mind too."

This Harry could understand. He wouldn't want his mental shield to be negative thoughts either. What a downer.

"My father never actively taught me how to protect my mind in advance. He was a strong believer in helping after the fact. Which is why I told you that overloading someone while they are already inside your mind is powerful. It's an older method in teaching Occlumency."

That might be why Snape had seemed to do the same thing. Harry wasn't sure why the two older men thought that just invading the mind would help in some fashion.

"I taught myself how to put up a mental shield. I had read up on several books and just practiced until it fit. Which is what one does with spells too. You take a hard to learn spell and just keep at it until you can actively do it without thought."

Harry arched a brow. He understood all of this but he was getting the feeling that Draco was stalling. His boyfriend had yet to answer his question.

"My father began teaching me how to expel a foreign intruder in the beginning of last year. But it wasn't until towards the end of the year that I figured out _my_ mental shield. What would work for _me._ "

There was an uncomfortable pause as Harry waited patiently for Draco to continue. When nothing happened, he lifted his head and peered into shifting eyes that wouldn't look at him. A soft pink color stained the other boy's cheeks, which Harry thought was adorable.

"I won't judge you." Harry whispered the same words Draco used on him at the Dursleys.

The sentence had Draco relaxing. There was truth to this. Harry wouldn't judge him. Not after everything they had been through.

"My mental shield is you." Draco admitted with a flash of heat spreading over his skin. "You are what protects my mind."

Harry's breath caught in his throat as he tried to get Draco to meet his eyes. Knowing the blonde as he did, he knew that this admittance had cost the Slytherin a lot. His heart had long ago swooned. He wanted to kiss his boyfriend and talk about how sweet that was but knew it would have a negative effect. This wasn't the time or place for that. But he wouldn't be forgetting it either.

"How?"

Draco breathed out shakily. He was thankful the question hadn't been why. His lover wasn't going to ask about the reason why, he was just going to ask about the uses of it. This was something that Draco could get behind. It made it easier to bear.

"You are powerful, Harry." Draco refused to look at him. "A shield needs to be strong. It needs to be something that can withstand an attack. It doesn't even have to be my own strength that blends into the shield. I told you earlier that it is similar to a patronus in means of the memory. I just think of you and the feelings I get near you and that is enough. It is my own personal shield."

Draco sighed before hesitantly meeting Harry's eyes. He smiled softly at the way green orbs were shining brightly. "You need to find something strong enough to protect your own mind."

The urge to smother Draco in an array of kisses was strong but Harry quashed that down. "So, I need to treat this as I would a patronus? Instead of a happy memory, I need a powerful one?"

"Yes." Draco agreed. "Something that you know can withstand an attack. Whether it is a wall of negative memories, a cage of strength, a web of trickery or even traps. Anything that can protect you."

Harry bit his lip as he tried to figure out what would work for him. Was he supposed to think of Draco too? Was this some kind of odd relationship thing? He loved his boyfriend, really did but he just didn't see how thinking of the blonde would protect his mind.

There was an odd look that flittered across his boyfriend's face. "Are you confused?" When a shake of head had messy hair moving rapidly, Draco hummed as he narrowed his eyes. "Are you having a hard time deciding? It can be a process. It might take several different attempts before you figure it out. Took me ages to come to something that actually worked."

Draco had thought his words would be reassuring but Harry was still looking a little off. Almost uncomfortable.

"You know." Draco began as he wrapped his arms around the warm body next to him. "Everyone works differently. I already told you that what works for me, might not work for you." He chided with a gentle kiss to Harry's shoulder. "I won't be offended if thinking of me doesn't bring a shield forward."

When the tension left Harry's shoulders, Draco chuckled before peering into sheepish eyes.

"Sorry." Harry bit his lip. "I just didn't want to disappoint you."

"You could never disappoint me." A pause. "Unless of course you sided with Sirius on literally anything he does. That might just make us stop seeing eye to eye."

Harry huffed a laugh as he pinched the hands holding him.

A comfortable silence surrounded them as Harry tried to think of what he could use. With the wide span of options to choose from, this made things difficult.

"What's powerful for you?" Draco asked, hoping to help. "What is a tool that you have used yourself in dangerous situations? It doesn't have to be anything big. Sometimes small acts speak volumes."

Harry thought back to when he taught the students in Dumbledore's Army. Draco's words made him think of some of the spells that some students felt weren't useful.

"Disarming." Harry whispered a little unsure. "I've used it on Voldemort before and it worked. It saved me in the graveyard. It sounds elementary but it is nearly always on the tip of my tongue."

"Expeliarmus?" Draco pondered as he arched a lone brow. It was intriguing and unique. While he admired that, he was definitely going to make sure Harry knew better spells than that. Going up against the Dark Lord would need something stronger than a basic first year spell.

Draco smirked at the possibilities this could use in Occlumency. "You know, that is actually brilliant."

"I don't like the surprise in your voice."

That had Draco rolling his eyes. "And you wonder why I don't compliment you enough. My efforts are wasted when you don't appreciate me."

Harry grinned at the exaggerated sniffle. "Tell me why it's brilliant."

The demand was _almost_ enough for Draco to refuse but he chose to be the bigger person and continue on. Which was the _only_ time he was ever going to do something like that again.

"Because to disarm someone with the spell, halts all magic used with that conduit. If you apply something similar to a skill that is already meant to halt intruders, it would be _that_ much more efficient."

Harry blinked a few times. "I never considered Occlumency to be a more complicated version of the disarming spell. Only with the mind instead of a spell. Puts things into perspective."

It really did. Harry had an almost epiphany as he allowed Draco's embrace to lull him into a sense of safety. He was good at disarming. He was good at blocking other spells in that manner. Now all he had to do was combine disarming into a powerful shield of sorts.

"Alright." Harry spoke up before Draco could respond. "How do we go about trying this out?"

"You are going to try breaking into my mind."

Everything came to a screeching halt as Harry assumed he had to have heard wrong. _"What?"_

Draco smirked at the reaction. "How can I expect you to gain the full knowledge of _how_ to perform a shield without _showing_ you what it feels like? I can't expect you to just get it with no examples. I can't just say, 'prepare for my attack' and _hop_ _e_ you have a full grasp of the concept. That would be like Umbridge. Giving you the theory without ever offering the chance at performing it. You need more than just my words. You need to know what proper Occlumency _feels_ like. Especially with all of your senses."

On paper that sounded good. It even made sense. But Harry remembered all the times that Snape had entered his mind and the pain that always left him uneasy afterwards. He didn't want to make Draco feel like that.

"I trust you."

The words were powerful. Especially considering the blonde didn't trust anyone. Warmth spread inside of Harry as he nodded in agreement. He could do this.

The wand was passed to Harry and he gripped it tighter than necessary as he pushed aside his nerves.

Draco let go of Harry and settled back across from him. He noticed the tense muscles and wondered just what was happening inside that gorgeous head.

"I am ready whenever you are." Draco told him softly, hoping Harry would just do it.

Harry steeled his resolve and looked into the eyes he loved so much. "Legilimens."

Instead of completely fighting the attack, Draco let Harry in. Well, slightly. He wasn't going to roll over and succumb. But he was going to show him what his defenses felt like.

 _Use your senses, Harry._

It was whispered inside Harry's mind as he came to a halt. It was interesting seeing the differences between the onetime his spell had backfired and entered Snape's mind. That time had been a rush of a few memories but this was different. This was a blank space, a void of nothing. He couldn't _see_ anything.

It took him a moment to realize that that was the entire point. He wasn't _supposed_ to be relying on his sight. He closed his mental eyes and gasped at the sheer presence of Draco. It was overwhelming. It was a wall of power. It was a nearly impenetrable and it was _strong_. Was this what happens when Draco thinks of him? Was he really the strength that his lover needed to perform _this_?

An odd noise had Harry peeking one eye open to see a memory floating around. It was one of them, the first time Draco had ever seen him. They were both inside of the robe shop. While the blonde had been rambling and posturing about in his own memory, this side of it was completely different. He could feel what Draco had and that turned out to be slight awe. He could sense that Draco's thoughts on that memory were clouded in embarrassment but there was also this eleven-year-old sense of wonder as the blonde looked to him, as if Harry was this beautiful boy instead of the awkward clueless child he had really been.

It made Harry's heart beat faster as he also felt a fleeting sense of shame at not realizing that Draco had been excited to talk to him, and that was _before_ knowing who he was.

Damnit. Harry was getting caught up in the memory. Which was a distraction! He wasn't supposed to be using his sight! Draco was tricking him.

He closed his eyes again and ignored the noises and sounds that Draco was attempting to use to dupe him.

Harry focused on the wall of power that was there, it was interesting to see that it was different now that the memories were seeping through. It was obvious that Draco was _allowing_ him to see them instead of his Legilimency breaking through. Which meant that there was a lesson in here somewhere.

He thought back to the flower demonstration and recalled the way Draco's magic had felt. There was a difference between that and this. At first, he just wanted to chalk it up to being completely different kinds of magic and let it go. But something was telling him that Draco had performed the demonstration for a reason. More than just the original explanation. Figuring it out though, was a different story.

The magic _now_ was inward. It was still the same powerful presence but it was internal. Was that the point? Was Draco just sucking his magic inside of him and pulling his resources into the shield? Was that what was happening? Instead of Snape's teachings of 'clearing his mind' was he really supposed to be clearing his mind _and_ drawing up his magic? A combination of magic and will? Power and might?

A whisper of _something_ was heard and Harry braced himself for whatever was to come. A hard shove of power and he was cast outside and his awareness was back inside of the bedroom.

Draco smirked at the dazed confusion on Harry's face and waited patiently for the brunette to collect his thoughts.

"I want you to do it to me now."

Draco eyed Harry closely. He knew better than to ask if the Gryffindor was sure. He nodded once and waited for Harry to pass him the wand and give him the sign to go ahead.

Harry pulled his own magic inside of himself and cleared his mind of all thoughts except for the feeling he got when using the disarming spell. He imagined the spell was seeping into his veins and performing a wall with the spell built into it. He nodded his head once before locking eyes with Draco.

"Legilimens."

Draco felt a strong resistance. It was a brilliant first try but it wasn't enough to keep him out, and that was with him holding back. He wasn't even _really_ trying.

Flashes of memories broke through whatever it was that Harry had tried in keeping Draco out. He saw a small little child of no more than five sitting on a flimsy cot in a dark cupboard. Before Draco could really ache at the despair in the child's emotions, he was moving into other memories with a quickness that surprised him. Normally, memories aren't cycled through this quickly.

More flashes, some of them moving so rapidly that Draco wasn't even sure what it was that he really saw. His senses were telling him that they were real but Harry was in control of what was being seen. Which was a good thing. His lover had taken his advice and was trying to use memories to overwhelm him. It wasn't quite working, because there was no overload, just a simple control of memories. Which was to be expected from a first attempt.

 _'I can touch him now.'_ The disturbing face of the Dark Lord appeared so suddenly that Draco would have leapt backwards if this wasn't in the mind. Salazar, he had never encountered someone so ugly in his entire life. He could barely make out graves in the distance and realized that this was from the night of the man's return.

 _'Harry'_ Draco recognized his own voice as the memory shifted. It was from one of their rare moments inside the school, when they had managed to find time to be together.

It took a moment for him to realize what this was from. He groaned in embarrassment. Draco had thought that Harry was asleep during this memory.

He watched his past self peer down into a peacefully blank face, they were both naked with a blanket covering their waists.

 _'How is it that you have come to mean so much to me?'_ The question was whispered with delicate touches to Harry's cheeks.

 _'It's almost cruel how quickly you have ensnared me.'_ There was a pause as a frustrated sigh was released. _'But I don't want to escape. I am a fly in your web of desires. My only hope is that you keep me tangled instead of allowing nature to run its course.'_

There was a sense of love inside of Harry's emotions as the memory faded and he was gently pushed outward.

"You utter arse." Draco grumbled before he covered his face in his hands. "I never would've even known you heard me, if you hadn't shown me that. You couldn't have left me in ignorance?"

Harry grinned widely as he tackled Draco to the floor. "I know." He whispered as he refused to allow the embarrassed boy to look elsewhere. "I was showing you that you were wrong."

Draco furrowed his brows and arched a brow, silently asking for more.

"If I am a spider in your analogy then you are the skillful fly that has used my own weapon against me." Harry ran his fingers against the pink cheek. "I am just as tangled as you."

"Bloody sap." Draco grumbled, completely ignoring that he had been the one to start this by saying all of that to Harry in the first place. "Why did it have to be _that_ memory that you showed me?"

Harry smirked as he shrugged one shoulder. "I felt like teasing you." His smirk grew at the glare he received.

"Plus, I wasn't even sure if I was successfully changing the memories. This one was rather memorable for me. So, I wanted to see if it would work."

Draco harrumphed as he folded his arms across his chest, not bothering to respond at all.

"Does this hold up against our deal?" Wondered Harry. "I was able to push you out and I did form a shield, it just wasn't as good as I thought it would be."

"You did good." Draco reluctantly told him. "Better than I thought you would, which was already pretty high."

Harry smirked as he pulled Draco into his arms. "You are impressed."

"And you aren't as humble as you would like people to believe."

That had Harry throwing his head back and laughing loudly. "I have _never_ claimed to be humble. Sure, I don't like my fame but everything else is off the table." It was a slight exaggeration. He liked to consider himself decently humble but Draco brought out other sides to him.

Draco rolled his eyes as he settled comfortably in his boyfriend's arms. "Alright. You win. I will play nice."

Harry grinned widely. "I like it when you lose."

"Fucking prick." That had Harry's grin growing impossibly wider.

"You won't be grinning when I suddenly don't feel like having sex."

Harry arched a disbelieving brow. "Think you can resist me?" He ran a hand up teasingly along Draco's skin.

No. Not that Draco was going to admit that. He adopted a sneer. "Of course I can. I am resilient to your whims."

Harry began sucking a mark into pale skin. "Is that so?"

"Mhm." Draco tilted his head to the side as his resolve began cracking horribly.

"Then I suppose we should get back to Occlumency training."

The removal of the warm mouth and sinful tongue almost had Draco whining. He blinked rapidly at the change of pace and peered owlishly up at Harry.

"Excuse you?" Demanded Draco with narrowed eyes.

"You're the one who said you can resist my whims. I was just thinking logically here. I mean, we do have to learn more about Occlumency."

Draco pushed Harry back until he was straddling the other boy. "I'll show you who will be resisting who." He promised darkly. "I'll have you begging for release so strongly that you will _wish_ we had studied instead."

Harry's mouth parted as he took in the gorgeous body on top of him.

"It will be by _my_ mercy that decides your fate." Draco disclosed with feeling. "So choose your words wisely and I just may allow you to come."

That was the last words spoken for some time. Well, if one was to ignore the litany of cries that resembled words that spilled out of Harry's mouth. This was _much_ better than shields and invading each other's minds. They could always practice afterwards. It wasn't as if they had anywhere to be.

* * *

"We should have just stayed home." Ginny complained as she laid on her back looking at the ceiling. "They have been in there for what feels like forever." She shot the kitchen door a dark glare.

"It's barely been an hour." Hermione corrected, without looking up from a book on Goblin wars.

"Can't you give me a hint?" Ginny countered for the umpteenth time, causing Ron to sigh heavily. Harry owed him for putting up with this. It would have been far easier to just say what exactly Malfoy was to Harry.

"No." Ron told her firmly before Hermione could speak up and give in. He could tell by the furrowing of her eyebrows that his girlfriend was just as annoyed as him. He shot her a pleading look, urging her to use her girl powers and do _something_.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "So, have you thought about whether you are going to go out with Dean or not?"

 _"What?"_ Ron asked, completely sidetracked. As he stared at his now blushing sister, he missed the smirk on Hermione's mouth as she triumphantly flipped a page.

"Hermione." Ginny hissed as she sat up and clutched her knees to her chest. "You weren't supposed to say anything."

"Whoops." Hermione didn't even bother to pretend. "Must not have heard you correctly."

Ron snorted before he looked back to his sister. "Dean asked you out?" He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about this. Before Harry's relationship with Malfoy, he had hoped one day his friend would grow to care for his sister the same way Ginny cared for him. Harry was one of the only guys he could trust with his little sister. But that was completely shot to hell now.

"Yes." Ginny smiled slightly, face still bright red. "But I was kind of hoping that someone else might show interest."

Ron winced slightly as he looked to Ginny sympathetically. He could spare her feelings and completely lie to her, saving himself from this conversation but then they would be right back where they were, six months to a year down the road.

"Ginny." Ron sat up straighter before he scooted close to her. "I would love to be the one to tell you that Harry just needs more time and that eventually he could see you as a potential girlfriend but I can't do that." He saw the flash of pain in her eyes and it hurt him to be the one crushing his sister's spirit. For a moment, he wanted to blame Harry for this but he knew that was irrational and didn't make sense. It wasn't the brunette's fault that he didn't like Ginny that way.

"He loves you as much as he loves me and Hermione." He caught sight of Hermione's wince and realized that probably was more hurtful than what he had said before. Being reminded that they would only be family was an insult in a way.

"But." He barreled through before she could start crying. _That_ would be his breaking point. "That isn't because of something _you_ did. Attraction isn't something that he can force or something that you can change." That was from personal experience. Parvati had told him that Lavender had a crush on him and he honestly couldn't fathom being with the girl. Which had ironically been the pushing point into realizing that he was only attracted to Hermione and managed to muster up the courage to ask her out.

"Don't let this get to you. You are still the same fiery girl who can kick anyone's arse." When her lips twitched, he knew that she would be alright. "You are still the same lovable person I have always known." He paused to nudge her shoulder. "And you are still the same beautiful person that attracted Dean's attention."

The slight admiration in her eyes was something Ron hadn't seen since he had given her his teddy bear when he was five years old. It was less of a kind act and more of the fact that Fred and George had changed it into a spider and he couldn't bear to look at it anymore without seeing eight legs, soul sucking eyes and frightening pinchers. Not that he was ever going to tell her that.

"You think so?" He could tell that she hated asking something so insecure.

"I know so." Ron promised her as hugged her to him gently. "I can't tell you how I feel about you dating Dean but that's an issue for another day." He paused before continuing. "You might like Harry more than Dean but keep in mind that Dean has done something that Harry hasn't nor ever will."

Ginny furrowed her brows in confusion, silently asking him to explain.

"He showed you that he cares about you as a boyfriend would. He asked _you_ out. A lot of people don't do that on a whim, which means that he has been thinking about this for a while. Dean knows how protective I am of you. For him to ask you out anyways, shows that he wants this. He wants to be with you." The blush had come back full force on her cheeks, which was a good thing as far as this conversation was going.

"Wouldn't you rather be with someone who can show you that they care? Love Harry like a brother but don't put him on this throne, don't make him out to be someone that he just can't be for you. Be with someone who actually wants to be there." He smiled a little sadly as he hugged her one last time before scooting away.

"When did you get to be so wise?" Ginny asked as she sniffed slightly.

Ron felt his ears heat up as he looked away towards Hermione. Her wide smile and proud eyes flustered his heart and he looked down, to avoid doing something embarrassing.

"I got it from Harry actually." Ron admitted with a shrug. "He taught me some things lately about people and its had me thinking about a lot of stuff." The _many_ months of struggling to see Malfoy in any positive light had showed him that he didn't observe people enough. Harry wasn't stupid nor was he remotely daft, so if his best friend was seeing _something_ in the Slytherin then it just _had_ to be there. Even now, he wasn't quite sure what it was that made Malfoy so important but he knew that it was there, lurking behind sarcasm and an ugly sneer. So, he would wait patiently for it to show and when it did, he would apologize to Harry.

Ginny tilted her head to the side. "Is he… with someone?"

There wasn't any pain to her voice and for that Ron was grateful. He wasn't entirely sure how to answer that. Lying would only get himself into trouble down the road but he couldn't just admit that to her, it wasn't his business to share.

Before he could flounder for a response, the kitchen door flew open drawing their attention.

"Meeting is done." Sirius called out. They could all tell by the tense shoulders and lack of a smile that the meeting hadn't gone very well.

Usually by now, the majority of the Order would be exiting the room and only a few would stay behind for dinner. It was odd that not a single person had left.

Ron shared a look with Hermione before they all hesitantly entered the room. He arched his brows at his mother's frown and his father's uneasy expression. Fred and George were honestly amused, which didn't surprise him in the slightest. Charlie and Bill just seemed to be confused. He wasn't sure what was going on but his family was obviously divided about the whole thing.

He startled when Hermione nudged him and subtly nodded her head towards Sirius and Remus.

At first, Ron thought that she was trying to get him to see their joined hands, which was surprising. That wasn't something he had seen coming but it took a minute to realize that it was the worry on their faces, that was what she had been trying to get him to see. No one else in the room seemed to be worried. His eyes snapped through the many faces of the Order, most of them he didn't know other than by sight. Some he could remember his father pointing them out the few times he had gone to the Ministry.

It wasn't until his talks with Harry that he began to hone in on his observation skills. He treated all of the people in the kitchen as if they were pieces of a chess game. Which was his comfort zone, something he understood. Strategically, there was a lot of variables here that he couldn't answer for. Things that would be unwise to guess or assume, it could get one of his metaphorical pieces taken or even his king to become in check.

Snape was still the same blank faced, stoic bastard that he always was, so no help there. Tonks' hair was an odd taupe color with the tips pink. Which wasn't very telling but it also wasn't her droopy brown of when she is unsure of something or sad. Dumbledore was silent, his usual.

What did interest him was that Mundungus wasn't asleep, which was something the weird man did a lot. The man seemed to be considering things. Moody's magical eye was fixed on the ceiling which gave Ron creepy vibes. He hoped the man wasn't spying on Harry. Because that was just wrong on so many levels.

There was a lot that he wanted to assume but it was hard to put words to it. The only thing he was positive of was that, "It's about Harry." He whispered in Hermione's ear. Of that he was sure. It was the only thing that made sense when taking in account of everyone's reactions.

Hermione hummed in thought. "It's more than that." She whispered back, both of them ignoring the curious look Ginny was giving them.

"It's got to be about Malfoy too." She held up her fingers in a show of the number two. Ron blinked down at her fingers, trying to understand the gesture.

He had been about to ask her what she was talking about but her pointed look had him thinking back over everything since the moment they had gotten here. He remembered the way Sirius refused to talk about anything. The fact that Tonks had said they were possibly introducing two members into the Order and the sheer amount of people still in the room.

 _"Oh."_ He breathed out in understanding. This meeting wasn't about Harry being introduced into the Order. It was about Harry _and_ Malfoy.

Ron bit his lip as he looked to the ground, trying to get his emotions to stop being chaotic. Being a part of the Order had been something he had begged his parents to let him be included in since he found out about the organization a year ago. For nearly six years, he has been Harry's right-hand side through everything. If Harry were to be inducted into the Order, he had always assumed that would mean he would be there right beside him. But… now… now things were different.

He sighed heavily as he tried to ignore his feelings and look at the strategic side of this. Having Malfoy, someone who had grown up in a dark family and knew Dark Magic, _would_ come in handy. Honestly, they only had Snape for that and the man was a spy, someone who was also very busy. Also, the man wasn't very… welcoming. If they had an idea or a concern about a theory for some Dark Magic, they wouldn't want to go to him. Sirius had grown up in a dark family too but the man didn't use Dark Magic at all. Plus, Malfoy was a part of Harry's life. Having four sets of different opinions on things would be helpful in the long run. The Slytherin would have an outlook on things that they probably had never considered.

Did the sting of the blonde getting a head start into the Order above him bother Ron? Yes. There was no denying that. After all, the Slytherin had been on the opposite side since the day he was born.

But… it wasn't as if Ron would have been given the chance to be in the order while he was still in school. His mother had made her point on the issue known since the beginning. Ron had always known he would have to wait until his seventeenth birthday before he could ignore his mother's worries and join. So, this wasn't a chance that was taken from him. It was an opportunity that had been given to the Slytherin, something that Ron couldn't begrudge him for.

Plus, if the blonde was being inducted into the order, then that meant something bad had happened. Malfoy wasn't the type of person to be a spy. Not that he was doubting the boy's abilities but the Slytherin just wasn't someone he could see be able to face Voldemort and lie to his face. The blonde was a horrible liar, anyways.

This was another instance where he couldn't make assumptions without more evidence or more moves placed on the chess board. Wasting his energy trying to predict _every_ move his opponent would make, would be a fatal mistake, causing some things to slip through. Ron sighed heavily when he realized that he was just going to have to be patient and wait it out.

* * *

Things were slightly awkward and definitely boring as everyone waited for _something_ to happen.

"This is just rude." Several people grumbled.

"It isn't as if they _knew_ they were to be here." Sirius explained loudly, glaring heavily at anyone breathing a negative word. "You can't fault them for that."

"Then go get them." Severus advised with a bored drawl, as if this was wasting his time. "Some of us have actual things to do and don't just laze around all day."

Sirius growled and took a step forward but was held back by a strong hand that was gripping his shoulder.

"Don't." Remus whispered lowly. "It isn't worth it. This is what he wants. Don't take your aggression out on him."

"Why not?" Sirius whispered back but kept his eyes locked onto black ones. "It would make me feel better to wreck his hideous face. I could even change into my animagus form and bite a leg off. That would ease tensions."

Remus snorted despite himself as he sighed heavily, pulling Sirius to him.

The sound of footsteps coming closer had everyone sitting up straighter.

Draco furrowed his brows when he couldn't spot Sirius or Remus. "Shouldn't they be grossing us out with their displays of affection?" The two adults of the house were very open now that Harry knew of their relationship. Something that Draco just didn't want to see. Old people being affectionate wasn't something he cared to witness, especially if it was something that was providing Sirius happiness.

"It is kind of late. Maybe they are in their room." Harry suggested as he paused near the kitchen door to kiss a pale cheek, opening the door just a crack.

"I fucking hope so." Draco grumbled in annoyance as he flung an arm around the Gryffindor's shoulders. He saw Harry wince and that worried him.

"Are you alright, love?"

The endearment had Harry's heart fluttering as he wanted to grin goofily but quashed that down. "It's just the position you fucked me in." Harry pointed out. "That first one was not meant to be done on the hard floor. I know I am going to have bruises and I am positive that I pulled a muscle." He gingerly shook his head as he pushed the door open, keeping his eyes on Draco.

"I know that I want to do it again, _definitely_ want to do it again but not without better surroundings." Harry continued, oblivious to the way that Draco froze in horror.

When Draco said nothing, Harry narrowed his eyes. "What's with you? Didn't like the position? Because it was your idea to begin with. And judging by how vocal you were, I think—"

Draco slapped a hand to Harry's mouth to stop any more incriminating evidence to spew out but he also couldn't stop from being amused. "Do you remember when you said that _I_ would be the lewd one? That _I_ would have to watch what _I_ said?"

Before Harry could so much as nod his head, he was being turned towards what he had assumed was an empty kitchen. The sight of an entire Order meeting was the single most mortifying thing he had ever gone through. This was _not_ how he wanted to introduce his boyfriend to the Order of the Phoenix.

 _Fuck._ Was it too late to run away?

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **So, what did you think?**

 **I don't know about you guys but secondhand embarrassment is my weakness. Not a good weakness either. Like, my face goes all read, I splutter and look away nervously. Sometimes I have to pause in reading until I can comfortably come back and begin reading again. Harry saying all of that in front of the entire Order had me going through secondhand embarrassment. And that was just as the author, I can't imagine reading it!**

 **A few things, I do realize that the smut isn't as long as my others but I just couldn't extend it. It was the last thing I wrote for this one but it was hard for me.**

 **The Occlumency. I debated about how to go about this. I could have done a number of things but my choice in using the senses for things is something that will have a big impact later on during this series. So that is why that was there. I don't think I will show you guys their other lessons, I can always gloss over that. But I did want to show you the first one. It is essential to the series. Yes, that was a play off the title. I did rather enjoy going into more details on my version of Occlumency. I do realize that some things might not make sense. So, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.**

 **Draco was less snarky in this one but with their lesson in mind, I think that's alright. There was some sap to him but I rather liked it. I want to keep him in character but also show how much he does care for Harry.**

 **Ron. He was rather mature here and I know that might make him seem a little off but I think it just fits with the series. Especially with how supportive he is for Harry. Also, he was smart in a way that the books never really showed him. I just think that someone who excels at chess and has a deeper understanding of strategy would also be inclined to use those skills in the real world too. I'm not going to make him crazy smart or even levels of Hermione and Draco smart. But he is aware of things and has his own interesting way of seeing things. As does everyone.**

 **Guys, cliffhangers are my specialty. I am a total bitch and will use such tactics to my advantage. I take a sadistic pleasure in knowing that you will have to wait to find out more. *Laughs evilly* I do think that the next installment will be the conclusion of the summer and then straight into their sixth year.**

 **Let me know any thoughts! And I will see you in two-ish weeks!**

 **-XxTheDarkLordxX**


	2. Next part is done please read note!

**So, this is a note letting anyone who has followed this story that I have made the decision to keep all of this series together in one area. I really didn't want to do this because they aren't chapters and are indeed a series but it will get lengthy soon and I need them to not be a hot mess. Lol, so all future stories will be added to the original one. The 'Virginity is a Gift' story.**

 **With that being said the next addition is done! It is called, 'The Strength to my Weakness' and is posted in the original story.**

 **-XxTheDarkLordxX**


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